Oldest Oregon Woman dies at 111

So, why would I write about this?

Helen Johnson lived at the retirment home, Markham House in Tigard, where I worked in last year, and I had the opprotunity to meet and have a few conversations with her. For those of you who didn't know, I tried my hand and care-giving last year to help with funding for our holidays and explore the possiblity of my someday becoming a nurse(another blog-- another day).

She was a sweet, sweet lady. At 111 years old she still got up in the morings and put in one contact lense. She wore nylons almost daily, still put on a bra(most women didn't care at this point in thier lives, or 30 years earlier in their lives), and wore a skirt and matching blouse, she read the Oregonian every day, and was quite pleasant. I worked graveyard shift(though people told me I shouldn't call it that in an old-folks home), so I only peeked in on Helen a few times a night. But I trained on day shift for about 3 days and she was in my care.

One day she kept squeezing her call button, so we would keep checking on her. After about the third time we asked her why she called again, and she said: what is this thing- referring to her call button. We decided she wanted some companionship, and we were at a slow point in our day so we sat down with her. She reminds me of the "Time Machine" that Ray Bradbury has in his book 'Dandelion Wine'. She told us her profession before children was a hairdresser. She charged a whole $0.15! While working at this home, everyone living there who needed helping getting up had a specific time to wake up. Not Helen, they let her get up whenever she wanted. I thought: That is good. If she was lucky enough to live to 111, she shouldn't have to wake up early! Shortly before I left in Feb., she came down with pnemonia. She needed to get up early(8:30am) one day for a doctor appointment and I tried, but Helen would have none of that. I backed down quickly and let the nurse deal with it, I didn't have the heart to wake her. Helen loved treats and would give the staff a 5 pound box of sees candies for the office, and kept one in her room for us if we wanted. They told me she was very depressed when her son passed away in his 80's. NO one expects to bury thier children when they are in thier 80's. She had grandchildren my parents age, and great-grandchildren my age. I am pretty sure I saw some pictures of great-great- grandchidlren in thier teen years. She had letters from the Mayors of Oregon for getting past her 100th birthday. One of the news channels came out every year to interview her. She will be missed at Markham House, she will be missed in her own family. Someone told me she was married twice for about 30 years both times. Now, that will be an interesting reunion won't it?

What a sweet lady- I am honored I was able to meet her.

Oldest Oregon woman dies at 111
Monday, April 21, 2008 1 comment(s)
PORTLAND (AP) — The woman believed to be the oldest person in Oregon has died at the age of 111.Helen Johnson was born July 20, 1896, in Berlin. Her family emigrated from Germany to the United States at the turn of the century, and settled in Oregon.According to a California research group, Johnson was the 24th oldest person in the world when she died Thursday at her home in Portland.She said she never smoked, but enjoyed an occasional whiskey and vodka martini.Johnson took part in several aging studies, including one at Oregon Health & Science University. Her DNA is preserved with samples of about 100 other people who made the 110-year milestone and whose genes are being analyzed.

http://www.theworldlink.com/articles/2008/04/21/news/doc480cc8f383e7a673006881.txt